Madness
by White Snowflakes
Summary: Raoul promised Christine protection, but can he protect her from herself when the image a certain masked man has brought her to the brink of madness. Takes place during the rehearsals of "Don Juan". Some RC fluff and a little EC here and there.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Phantom of the Opera. If I did, the ending would be much different and Raoul and Phantom/Erik (Whichever you prefer) would find a peaceful way to share Christine so everyone would be happy.

_This is more based off of the ALW musical then the Leroux novel. I was not a big fan of the novel. Christine was too stupid and Erik annoyed me with his talking in third-person. I love the musical however and think it's the greatest thing in the world. _

**Summary: **Raoul promised Christine protection, but can he protect her from herself when the image a certain masked man has brought her to the brink of madness. Takes place during the rehearsals of _"Don Juan". _Some RC fluff and a little EC here and there.

Madness

When looking back in her later years, Christine knew that the days after the masquerade ball, during the rehearsals of her haunting teacher's opera of _Don Juan Triumphant, _were in fact the darkest and most morbid days of her life.

Raoul had promised his undying love and her protection. He promised her that if she willed it, he would carry her far away from the Opera Populaire at any given moment and let her live out her life with him as husband and wife. He even said (perhaps as a joke but Christine was to distressed at the time to comprehend) that if she wished to never here a single note of music again, he would burn all traces of the art in their home.

Christine knew that Raoul loved her. He would kiss her sweetly and tell her how much he loved her whenever he was in doubt. But she was now trying to understand _what _exactly was going through her fiancé's head when she found the role of Aminta forced upon her and him not even attempting to protest against it.

If this were any other opera she would gladly take the role, but seeing how this particular opera was composed by her fallen angel, Christine pleaded that the role would be passed on to the vain excuse of a woman, Carlotta.

She feared the man who taught her vocally, yet oddly at the same time she loved him. It was a different kind of love to what she felt for Raoul, but all the same, it was love. His loneliness and yearning for her love turned him mad and insane with lust. He'd kill for her, and knowing that frightened her to the brink of madness. She barely made it through dancing during the ball, no matter who she danced with, with the exception of Raoul, she always found herself twisting and turning with the image of the man with the face of death. She'd wake up screaming from nightmares of the same face almost every night. If she went through with this and played the doomed role of Aminta, he would surely find her and whisk her away to his kingdom of darkness where she would forever live her nightmare.

Upon entering rehearsal with her beloved Raoul by her side, she heard that cow, Carlotta accusing her, Christine, to be the one behind the casting so she would have the larger soprano role.

"She's behind this!" screeched Carlotta. "Christine Daaé!"

Until now, Christine had been completely silent, sitting close to Raoul and trying not to draw any attention to herself. But now she could no longer contain herself as rage consumed her. "How dare you!" she shot back to the diva. "You evil woman! How dare you! This isn't my fault! I don't want any part in this plot!"

Her sudden explosion of anger baffled all present. The managers André and Firmin pleaded with her to play the role, Carlotta shrieked with glee to her refusal, and Signor Piangi was left utterly confused.

She felt the arms of her lover wrap around her shoulders. "Christine," he said trying to comfort her, "you don't have to, they can't make you."

This calmed her down from her near-hysterical outbreak and as he gently stroked her long brunette curls, she fell back into her state of silence as she tried to imagine her future as being happily wedded to Raoul.

Christine never noticed that Madame Giry had entered until she began to read the latest letter from the "Opera Ghost". It was a usual letter from him: instructions on how to run the production, insulting Carlotta's acting skills, and the occasional false-concern of Piangi's weight, but when her name was mentioned in the note she tried her hardest to tune his words out with no avail. The unforgettable face behind the mask made its way into her mind, tormenting her, taunting her, taking what little happiness she had left and turning it into fear.

Raoul had left her side when the letter was finished being read. He took over the conversation with the newfound role as a leader figure. His bright blue eyes burned with the fire of determination as he preached his plan to the group his plan to trap the man, phantom, and angel. Baiting him with his own opera and Christine as the leading role. By now she was on the verge of tears but she held them off to keep her balance demeanor and not to upset Raoul further.

Madame Giry begged against the plan and Christine could not help but wish she were strong enough to side with her. She wished she could back out and spare the man she once called "Angel" his life and possibly the grief caused by her betrayal. The others however were not going to be so easy to persuade and were not going to push away such an idea so easily. She watched as they savored their victory with despair.

Carlotta and Piangi were back to pointing an accusing finger at her, calling her horrible things in rapid Italian and branded her as being insane. She couldn't deny the idea either. Sometimes she found _herself_ accusing her of being insane; after all, hearing the haunting music of her former tutor in her mind wasn't exactly normal.

She pleaded for everyone to stop talking of such things and focus on others but with each plea she found herself being ignored. This was all too much for poor Christine and without warning she suddenly burst out in a great cry "If you don't stop I'll go mad!" and broke down in tears.

Instantly the room went quiet and Raoul flew to her side. He kneed in front of her and took her cold and shaking hands into his own warmer ones.

"Raoul, I'm frightened," she sobbed, "don't make me do this. He'll take me and he won't let me go. If he finds me, it won't ever end. He'll always be there singing songs in my head."

She was aware that all eyes were on her but she couldn't care less. Finally after many minutes of complete silence besides her sobs, Carlotta stated flatly "She's mad."

Raoul gently wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into a quiet embrace. She could hear his heartbeat pound rhythmically as he soothed her with kind words as she sobbed into his shirt. He whispered to her gently that what they were planning to do must be done. For her sake. If they didn't end this madness her angel would haunt them for the remainder of their lives.

She turned away from him. She didn't want any part in this plan, play as bait to lure the lonely man who loves her to his death. But how could she refuse? If he were dead perhaps she could finally live the life of freedom that she had always dreamed of.

"Every hope and every prayer rests on you now," Raoul told her tenderly.

Her emotions had at last overcame her and she hurried out the door. She heard Raoul declare war on the clever man and follow right behind her, ready to comfort her if needed. She knew he loved him and would follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked, but little did she know, a dark masked man who'd do the same for her was watching their every move from the shadows. Ready to dive in and take her away during the right chance. In his mind this madness was love but to Christine, this love was madness.


End file.
